The subject invention relates to solid fuel burning methods and apparatus for heating, refuse or waste disposal and other purposes.
The advent and progression of the industrial age has eventuated a depletion of forests and valuable timber for fuel purposes to the extent of changing the natural character of entire regions in competition with building and paper-producing industries.
Of late, the dependency of industrial nations on fossil fuel has brought many people, industries and governments into embarrassing situations, including eonomic depression and political dependence or entanglement.
In an effort to break away from these cumbersome limitations and undesirable implications, and with the goal of restoring a healthy environment, responsible people are more and more looking at alternative energy sources.
On the home front, the wood-burning stove of past centuries is enjoying a nostalgic revival, but cannot provide a real solution on a large scale, because of inherent inefficiency and concomitant production of undesirable products of combustion.
On the other hand, householder and industrialist would be happy, under the above mentioned and prevailing circumstances, to resort to combustion of various particulate, pelletized and other solid fuels which could be provided cheaply and without substantial detriment to the environment. Similarly, a real service could be rendered to man and nature, if better thermal processes existed for disposing of combustible refuse, garbage and other waste, not only on a large scale, but readily accessible on a daily basis in millions of households.
Unfortunately, suitable equipment addressing itself to, and striking a healthy balance between, the various technological and environmental concerns in issue, has been largely lacking.